Obama bets beers on U.S.-Canada hockey final

By Anne E. Kornblut
President Obama made a "friendly wager" with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the men's hockey finals, betting a case of beer on the Olympics outcome on Sunday.

"If Canada wins, Prime Minister Harper will purchase a case of Yuengling for President Obama and if the US wins, President Obama will purchase a case of Molson Canadian for Prime Minister Harper," White House aide Nicholas Shapiro said.

The stakes are much higher for Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who had bet his Canadian counterpart that the US women's hockey team would win. Rather than pay up his wager -- which was that he would wear a Canadian hockey jersey at an off-camera gaggle -- Gibbs has gone double or nothing. If the US men's team wins, Gibbs won't have to wear the jersey. But if Canada wins, he'll wear it -- on camera, for the first 15 minutes of a briefing.

UPDATE: At the end of the first period (Canada 1, U.S. 0) the White House issued a revised statement clarifying that Obama will buy Harper Molson if Canada wins, while Harper would purchase Yuengling for Obama if the U.S. prevails.

What a great hockey game! Best remark of the Olympics appeared in a Vancouver newspaper. A Canadian reporter kidded: "Of course we won. We had Crosby, Stahl, Nash (Steve Nash of the Columbus Bluejackets) and, wait a minute where is... Oh there ie is, Young playing for us." (The great Neil Young performed during the Closing Ceremonies). The reference to the Sixties group is clever.

my only regret is that our prime minister showed (in my humble opinion ) that he is willing to be so self-serving that he had the government shut down for weeks with one phone call just to attend the games because he is exactly what he said he is... a huge hockey fan. please do not allow your government salary dollars to finance trips to the games.

i am so ashamed and embarrassed that he is a Canadian representing our country. i think he has a sense of entitlement that defies description.

i think when one or more men can and do impeded the democratic process for personal reasons, those men are criminal and treasonous.

Though I'm a home brewer who tends to buy local/regional microbrews when I do purchase other's beer, I think Yuengling was a great choice. It has a venerable history, and though there are those who look down on it as a lower class brew, it is really quite good...chilled.

Let me see...At the Gold Medal hockey game, Harper is wearing a Chinese-made "Canada" jacket from the Hudson's Bay Company and he wins a case of Molson Canadian from Obama.
With both companies being American-owned, the US wins either way.

Yeungling is a great beer. Additionally it has the distinction of being the oldest still existing brewery in the USA...so it was a good choice. Great game kids...USA hold your heads high. Congrats Team Canada on the game, the gold, the Olympic games and the class you showed throughout.